The Path to Praise
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Personal introduction
Dismiss Children
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I’m loving our ReThinking Church Series. Going through First Corinthians and reading Paul’s admonishment and challenges to the believers in Corinth is great for us as we seek to be admonished and challenged to live for Jesus.
Today we are going to see how the Apostle Paul, still continuing in the line of thinking from Chapter 8 about Christian Liberty and living for life for Christ, gives us reasons, examples, and direction about Living on the Path to Praise.
If this is your first time with us let me catch you up a bit.
1 Corinthians, written by Apostle Paul, to a church he planted 5 years prior, addresses unity, immorality, and a list of questions. Todays passage is him still answering one of the questions that has been raised around Christian Liberty and honoring God.
last week we read how Paul found his identity in Christ and lived from that for the gospels sake. We should be doing the same. But why?
Why should we put our lives on the path to praise?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why should I live for God? Why should I obey Him?
Paul reminds us in this passage why, gives us examples of those that didn’t, and closes it out with encouragement to the believers in Corinth as to how they can put their lives on the path to praise.
Follow along with me this morning in
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1 Cor 10:1-6
Exegete:
Paul is giving the Corinthians a reminder. He doesn’t want them to be ignorant of the information he is about to pass on.
All of the fathers is a reference to the Israelites that came out of Egypt.
In the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus, you will find the history of the Israelites that came out of Egypt and God’s presence was with them and often seen by a cloud covering the tabernacle. He also delivered them by parting the Red Sea for them to walk over on dry land and the egyptian army drowning as it came back together.
Go providing food and drink for them daily as they traveled through the desert.
He would deliver manna in the morning and at times when water was not able to be found, he had moses bring forth water out of a solid rock. These are miracles God performed for his people to deliver them.
They had their physical needs met but also had their spiritual needs met.
Paul brings his illustration around full circle in verse 4 by explaining to the Corinthians the rock was Christ.
There is some argument on this one with theologians as to whether Paul was saying there was a rock following the Israelites around physically or if this is Paul showing them that God the father, and the God the son were present during these times and the same way the Israelites were provided for is the same way we are provided for, through Christ.
While they were in the desert God provided them with all that they woudl need. Food, Water, sandals that didn’t deteriorate over time, and spiritually they had access to Him throught he tabernacle.
The same God that brought them our of Egypt, out of the bondage of salvery, is the same God tha has made it possible for you to come out of the bondage of sin through Jesus.
The character of God has never changed. He is in the business of deliverance. He delivered Noah through the flood, He delievered Abraham from his false relligion, He delievered Joseph through slavery and jail, He deilevered the ISraelites through the desert, He delivered Jonah from the whale, and Daniel from the lions den.w
When you put your faith in Jesus He will deliever you from sin, he will deliver you from despair, he will deliever you from hopelessness, he will deliver you from the thing that holds you in bondage.
The term rock is used to decribe Jesus in various parts of Scripture.
He is called the Rock of Life in Deuteronomy, The Rock of Salvation in 2 Samuel, the Rock of Refuge in Psalms, and the Rock of Rest and refreshment in Isaiah.
When God provided us Jesus He provided all we need. As I asked last week though, is he enough for us?
He provides for you spiritually and Jesus said this about how he provides physically
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Matthew 6:25-26
God takes care of us. Maybe you are here and are trying to figure out your next meal…come talk to me or anyone in this church and they should help.
Maybe you are here and in between jobs, time to reach out and let God work through the people around you. Too often we find ourselves in a bind emotionally or phsyically with a need that is not met and we neglect to reach out to God OR we will call upon God but forget He has provided for us through His Son. He provided us a community a believers that love Him and desire to serve others.
Why though? Why would God provide like He does?
Illustrate:
In the Bible God has many names. The most common he is known for in our language is Father or Heavenly Father.
Throughout the Old Testament He had different names used to identify Him and His attributes.
Without naming all of them, I wanted to point out a few to you.
First
Yahweh
Yahweh
Meaning Lord, Jehovah. The proper name for God.
Jehovah-Raah
Jehovah-Raah
The Lord is my Shepherd
Jehova Jireh
Jehova Jireh
The Lord Will Provide
It’s in his nature, it’s in His character, it truly is who He is to provide.
He knows His identity and will definitely live from it. He is not tempted to falter or not provide.
He can be trusted
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Numbers 23:19
He provides becuase it His Character and becuase He desires to be praised.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me, The dragons and the owls: Because I give waters in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert, To give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself; They shall shew forth my praise.
Isaiah 43:20-21
He did all this for the Israelites and He does this for you and I.
Apply:
We have the same provision spirittually and physically that the Israelites did. We would say the things that have been provided to us are good things.
The Bible says all good things come from God and he provides them to us why? IN order to be praised.
I. God’s Provision is given for God’s Pleasure
I. God’s Provision is given for God’s Pleasure
God is pleased when He is praised. There is no other reason He provides for us the way he does.
You may be sitting there thinking “Wow, what a selfish God.” Let me stop you. Selfish would be withholding provision.
We may think God withholds provision by not meeting our wants. God says “I got your needs” and mom says “Your old enough you wants wont hurt you.”
What if we took that last phrase into our Christian life?
God I want this promotion....but if you want me to do something else I will
God I want this house....but if you want something elsee I will
God I want this money…I want this car…I want these clothes…I want this and that producct....but If you want something else I will.
That’s part of maturing as a Christian. Relinquishing your wants for His pleasure and glory.
Now here’s the thing I’ve learned…the closer I grow to God, the more my wants align with His.
The more I seek Him and know Him, the more I want Him to be known. Defintely not perfect in this area, but I challenge you…Take God’s provision for you and use it for His pleasure, and see what happens.
Paul continued in his admonition to the Corinthians
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
1 Cor 10:6-10
Exegete:
Paul says the following examples were given to us to help us not lust after evil things as the Israelites did.
He tells the Corinthian church not to be idolaters.
That’s not a word we often use outside of Christianity.
Most of us are aware of what an idol is, or at least we have an image in our mind when we think of an idol. You probably think of a stone statue that people bow down and worship. That would be correct.
However, the act of idolatry isn’t just about having a stone statue you worship.
The act of idolatry is giving your worship over to something else. It’s to commit acts of worship towards someone or something other than God.
The reference that Paul is using here points back to the Exodus and specifically in the book of Numbers. It’s in chapter 25 we read about the Israelites taking women from Moab. Moab is a region east of the Dead sea where pagan worship of the false god baal happened.
The would commit immoral acts with the women, they were offering food and drink offerings to Baal, and God told moses to kill the leaders who had turned from the Lord.
While Moses and the community of the Israelites were at the tent of meeting, an Israelite man brought a woman from midian, also a place of pagan worship, and took her to his tent. Everyone saw him do this illegal act. a man named Phinehas son of Eleasar, son of of Aaron the priest, got up…took a spear…went into the tent..and while in the act drove the spear through the their bellies.
Once that happened, the plague God had released on the people stoppedd.
See, God took and takes the act of idolatry seriously. As well as sexual immorality.
Paul then gives the example of tempting Christ. The reference here is to Numbers 21 where the Israelites tempted God by speaking against Him and asking “Why did you lead us from Egypt to let us die in the desert with no bread or water. We detest this manna that God provides every day from Heaven.”
It’s in these moments you truly see what God means when he says “Vengance is mine.”
Because of their contempt and complaining, God sent poisinous snakes to bite and kill them.
Then they came to Moses and said “Our bad…we have sinned against the Lord. Go to Him and intercede for us to get rid of these snakes.”
That’s where the bronze snake wrapped around a staff comes from that you see on ambulances and various healthcare organizations. God told them that everyone that would look to the bronze serpent would live.
The comment about murmering is also a reference to this and in numbers 16, when a man named Korah tried to lead a rebellion against God and Moses. Short story is, it didn’t work and God opened the earth beneath the feet of Korah, his family, and the families of other who were involved killing them.
Most of you in here might say “Pastor, I’ve never bowed to an idol, offered sacrifices to an idol, told God I hated what he was doing, or tried to lead a rebellion against him.” To which I would respond, that’s great!
However, I want you to take a moment and see not the act that was completed but the heart of those who committed the act.
In all of the situations described we have men and women with hearts that are focused on things of this world and not the things of God.
God has provided for them and you. He has made promises and cannot lie. Yet, we find ourselves committing the act of idolatry with various things in this life. We put our career advancement, our desire to be liked by others, our personal financial goals, and anything else that keeps us from being obedient to the Lord between He and us.
Also, have you ever complained to God about what He is doing? Ever said “God your not doing enough for me.” or “God, you should not have done it that way, you should have done it this way?”
Maybe you haven’t said it but could you take a moment and think…have I acted this way?
Have I lacked gratitude for God when I felt like I deserved more?
Illustration:
Have you written a script for God, indicating many of your life steps, thinking he’ll automatically read it, approve it, and sign off on it? Anytime you pursue your dreams and leave God out of the planning process, you’ve just replaced God with your dreams, and that’s a form of idolatry. Oh sure, you don’t have little statues laid out in your bedroom, but your heart is filled with them. This is not to say you should be directionless or ambitionless (because we certainly have enough of that), but it is to say that your plans and dreams can be a cover-up for self-centered ambitions, and that’s when it can become toxic. Your dreams and ambitions may even be good, but what if God had something greater? Something better by his standards.
Apply:
Have you done what the Israelites did and lived as if there is no God? Have you left him out of your plans? Are you purposely living disobedient to His Word as it relates to sexual immorality, idolatry, or complaining?
Paul warned the Corinthians not to do this and I want to caution you as well.
We are saved by grace through faith. We live by faith not under the law. This does not mean we live lawless. This does not mean our lives can be Christless.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans 6:15
Thee Israelites were rebelling against God by disobey the law. We rebel against God when we rebel against His grace.
It’s one of the greatest mistakes anyone can make.
We turn from God’s provision and plan becuase we think this world offers something better. When in reality it is much worse. That has been proven over and over again.
So.
II. Don’t sacrifice God’s Pleasure for Earth’s pain
II. Don’t sacrifice God’s Pleasure for Earth’s pain
Throughout the books of the Bible we find it written how God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. How he has a plan for us and thinks good thoughts towards us with an expected end.
We too often think we can do it better. That’s most obviously seen in relationships. The immorality mentioned by Paul continues today when we choose to engage in what is reserved for marriage outside of it. There is a study on webmd from 2010 that shows delaying that type of action until marriage improves multiple aspects of the relationship.
How in your life have you chose Earth’s percieved pleasure which results in pain rather than God’s plan that is from His good will and for His pleasure?
Paul closes this section with a message of hope
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Cor 10:11-13
Exegete:
Paul reiterates the reason for these example. They were written for the Corinthians and for our admonition.
Pointing back to the Christian Liberty topic this all spurred from, Paul us telling them don’t think you can stand in the temple and not succumb to worshipping the idol.
Don’t be a person that says you can handle whatever temptation comes your way. You will face temtpation of the eyes, temptations of the flesh, and during these times you should not say to yourselves “God wouldn’t give me more than I can handle.”
For two reasons…
God may not be giving that to you. You may be the one putting yourself in a bad situation. It’s like the recovering alcoholic going into the liquor store saying God won’t give me more than I can handle…Yes he willand so will the guy selling the liquor.
God most definitely will give you more than you can handle so that you can see Him handle it for you.
Illustrate:
Let’s illustrate it this way:
If you are a person that battles lust, put your head down at the beach.
IF you are somone who battles greed, have someone hold you accountable for charitable giving.
IF you are someone who struggles with pride, have a reminder of who Jesus is and what he did for you constantly around so that you never think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.
If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or any other illness of that nature, spend time with God in prayer, get with other Chrsitians to love on and encourage you. If your doctor has prescribed you something that doesn’t alter your state of mind, continue taking it. If you are on mind altering medication, I always caution that. I never tell you to stop…I tell you to consider if what you are putting in your body is impacting your ability to yield to the SPirit.
Application:
We will all face temptation in our lives. The question is will we take the out that God has given us or give into it.
We can choose to live from the provision and protection God has given us or live for what this Earth has to offer.
God has apath for you. He has laid it out from His good will and pleasure.
Why should you follow it?
III. You Follow God’s Path so that God may be Praised
III. You Follow God’s Path so that God may be Praised
Why should God be praised?
Because the answer to temptation, the answer to the sin in your life, and the answer to many of the difficulties faced was given to us by God 2k years ago on calvary.
Because before the earth was formed God knew that He would send Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.
You see God provides Jesus for us so that we would not suffer the pain of this life or the next without Him. He sent Jesus to show you the path that God would have you live so that He may be praised.
How does your life reflect the provision God has provided in Jesus? Would people know you live for the praise and glory of God based on your lifestyle?
have you given into some temptations you need to turn from? have you put something between you and God? It’s time to confess the sin and receive God’s forgiveness. It’s time to live your life so that it reflects the gospel of Jesus.
What is in your life right now, that is not reflecting the glory of God? Bitterness? Anger? Pride? Lust? Greed?
Would you take that to God, confess it, and turn from it?
If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, would you make that life changing decision right now?
Time of Response
Time of Response